Cold Geass
by ejwalker
Summary: If I hadn't been there, would things have been different? Who knows. As a wise being once said, "No one is told any story but their own." So consider yourself lucky to hear mine... Spoiler warnings, set during Fairy Tail ch 481-485 and after R2. Oneshot.


The power of geass is a complicated thing. Even among those who know about it, no one understands it completely. Not those who use it, and not those who give it.

When I was ready to fulfill my contract, I had a little extra baggage that most geass users don't. I already had an immortality code. So my attempt to grant CC's wish ended up with both of us visiting the collective consciousness.

"You seem to come here a lot."

"I made a promise to you. I knew something might happen if I tried to carry two immortality codes, but I had to keep my promise."

"And I'm very grateful." She looked upward, then smiled as if she had seen the solution hanging over her head. "It's impossible to be twice immortal. You'll have to change one of the codes." Then with a smile, she disappeared, finally able to rest in peace.

In the end, I used the extra code to keep my original geass and become capable of giving geass to others, as well as gaining a new power... the power to move between universes. But after so many alterations, the remaining immortality code fused with me. Whether I liked it or not, I was now permanently immortal.

But back to the complexity of geass... I had long ago given up trying to figure out how I just suddenly knew things that I shouldn't be able to know. What people were thinking, what was happening far beyond my physical senses... Not all the time, but once in a while, usually when there was a potential contract to be made.

Right now, three wizards were facing off against an enemy wizard on the deck of a ship. There were more battles going on, spread out all across the countryside and cityscape, but those particular three were trying to defeat the caster of a far-ranged magic that was effecting almost everyone else, bringing memories of the dead to life before them. Memories that could well be fatal. I closed my eyes as I sat in an alley, allowing the awareness to flow through me.

The blue-haired male grabbed the dark-haired female as their enemy fired an energy beam, perhaps trying to shield her or push her out of danger. When the debris cleared, there was only a hole in the deck of the ship where they had been fighting.

"Jellal! Kagura!" The other female, red-haired, stood at the edge of the hole and peered down into it, but her two comrades had fallen beyond her reach. She had no time to help them, as the enemy's magic had conjured no less than three foes for her.

Underwater, Kagura struggled out of Jellal's grasp and turned to glare at him. But he was oblivious to her, unconscious and pinned beneath a large metal link. Apparently the blast had severed the ship's anchor chain.

Kagura started toward the surface, wanting to return to her red-haired friend, then looked back. I sensed strong negative emotions in her, but as bubbles of air drifted up from Jellal's limp form, she dove back down and began tugging him free of the chain.

In another place somewhere in the city, two males stood dumbstruck as their long-dead teacher appeared before them.

"Now then... It's about time I whip the two of you into shape," she said.

They flung their ice magic at her for a while, but seemed unable to beat her. The white-haired one was trembling, and kept murmuring, "Ur..."

"Lyon, snap out of it!" shouted the black-haired boy. "That thing's not Ur!"

Lyon still stared ahead, half dazed. "I'm well aware... This is obviously the work of the enemy's magic. But even so..."

I fixed my attention on him. There was something about him that intrigued me. The black-haired boy had no need of me, but this Lyon... I opened my eyes and rose to my feet, following my senses through the city.

"We're not the same as back then! We can and will overcome this obstacle!"

Lyon looked up, wide-eyed. "Gray..."

"You're nothing but an enemy who happens to look like our master!" Gray shouted. "I won't let you drag her name through the mud!"

In the back of my mind I was aware that the redhead, though she appeared helpless and nearly defeated, was giving her foes a terrifying look. "Begone, departed spirits... unless you wish to taste my blade once more!" At that, all three of them looked astounded, and they vanished like an illusion. But as soon as they were gone, the redhead passed out.

Kagura had managed to get Jellal out out of the water and onto the dock. She knelt beside him, her sheathed katana falling from her hand as she debated with herself. She finally decided to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and in a few moments he revived and started coughing water out of his lungs.

"Follow me when you're able," Kagura told him, then left to race back toward the ship.

I reached a place where I could hear the sounds of battle, and soon I was passing by the combatants. They were all too busy to notice me, but I overheard one talking to another.

"It feels chilly all of a sudden, don't you think?"

"That must be because Gray and Lyon are fighting over there," the cat-eared girl surmised. I followed her pointing finger, and nodded as my sense of direction was confirmed.

"Ice Geyser!" Gray's shout was still mostly in my mind, although I heard a faint echo in my ears.

"Ice Volcano!"

The counter-spell threw both Gray and Lyon back, and they grunted as they hit the ground. Lyon mumbled, "We don't stand a chance... Ur is simply too powerful."

"That ain't Ur!" Gray yelled at him. "Ur is dead, and it's my fault, and you know it!"

Lyon stared at him as if realizing something. "You've come a long way, and gained so much experience... Even though you never wanted to surpass Ur..."

Gray froze, his memories flashing by almost visibly on his face.

"That path, for me, has always been obstructed..."

Lyon's words seemed to shake Gray out of his daze. He grabbed the other boy's collar and dragged him up by it. "In that case, the road starts right here in front of you!"

Lyon's eyes went wide.

Gray went on. "I didn't get this far by just standing around! I had to keep moving... That's why I'm standing here now! So move forward, Lyon!"

The fake Ur laughed. "You think you can take me down? Not in a million years."

I knew that Kagura had reached the wounded redhead, crying, "Erza!" I knew that Jellal, still coughing and wobbly on his feet, was nonetheless making his way to meet them. But my attention was focused on the scene that I had finally reached.

"I must... move forward..."

As Lyon spoke, he stripped off his shirt and coat. At the same time, Gray also threw his coat aside. The shirtless boys stood together and faced the enemy.

"It's the first step toward the future," Gray said as they both cast spells. "Ice Devil's Zeroth Long Sword!"

"Cygnus's Bladed Icewings!"

But their target wasn't about to just stand there and take the hit. Too quietly for the boys to hear, she spoke a spell of her own. "Ice Make: Castle of Stone." Their ice magic rebounded off her defense and headed back towards its origin.

Gray became aware of her action first, and tried to form a shield. His efforts were rewarded; instead of being killed, he was just knocked out by his shield as it was forced backward against him.

The only reason Lyon was also unscathed... was me. It gets a little tedious, saving people like this, but it sure gets their attention. I flinched at being impaled by several dozen cold spears, then the pain seemed to fall away behind me and I had a brief out-of-body experience... They never get any less strange, no matter how often it happens.

I turned around to see my body, full of icy shards, where it had collapsed on top of Lyon. He sat up carefully and examined me. I could only guess what he felt at having a total stranger step out of nowhere and save him like this. He seemed shocked that I was dead, but I knew he was about to be a whole lot more surprised in a moment.

Only a short time left until my spirit returned to its rightful place... I took the opportunity to examine myself from the outside. It's been so many years and I've come so far, but I still have a fondness for red jackets.

Lyon rolled my body off himself, then looked toward where the enemy still stood, barely scratched by all their efforts. I noticed a small, inconsequential detail and smiled to myself. Perhaps it made me feel more comfortable to dress the same way as I used to, but I had to admit that the geass symbols stitched on the back pockets of my jeans were a new addition.

I felt a tug, followed by slight disorientation as I resurrected. Almost before I opened my eyes, I was reaching out to grab Lyon's arm, throwing both our minds into that indescribable dimension of the contract.

"Do you really want it to end here?"

He'd never thought he might die in this battle. He still didn't quite believe it was possible.

"These people you're fighting, they're not like you and they're not like Fairy Tail. They've come to kill and destroy."

It didn't take much persuasion for Lyon to accept my contract. Unlike the contract I once agreed to, my terms were clear... no vague future wishes for him to grant.

Lyon stood up. I remained on the ground, having no desire to die a second time in as many minutes. I'd had enough solid water stabbed into my body for one day, thank you, and I hadn't quite finished healing from the last batch.

The newest geass user started to walk slowly forward. Another volley of frozen projectiles flew toward him, but Lyon didn't move. There was a twitch in my mind as his geass activated, and the ice flew right through him.

Lyon continued walking as if the ice had been merely an illusion. It seemed he had received the ability to phase his body into another dimension briefly, so the ice never touched him. I'd been around long enough to see it before. The downside? If he overused it, he could easily phase out of existence permanently.

The fake Ur started to look nervous as Lyon approached her, his expression eerily blank compared to a few moments ago. The only hint of emotion there was determination.

I closed my eyes, leaving Lyon to his battle while my awareness stretched out one more time. Jellal had reached his comrades. He was still not fully recovered, but the sight of the seriously-injured redhead seemed to do wonders for him. He scowled darkly at the caster of the magic which was causing such widespread trouble. "Here and now, I shall commit just one more sin..."

With Erza cradled in her arms, Kagura watched in awe as Jellal prepared his spell. Night sky spread out above them, catching even the attention of wizards engaged in other battles.

"Be judged by the seven stars!"

"I know your history all too well..." The enemy summoned a new foe in front of Jellal. "You know Simon, don't you? Your former comrade whom you betrayed and murdered... Will you still attack? Will you kill him again?

Jellal hesitated. A murderer he might have been once, but he deeply regretted that past. Before he could spend much time thinking, Kagura leaped forward, her sword flashing.

"This abomination... is not my brother!"

While Jellal gaped, the memory of Simon gave his sister a gentle smile before fading away.

"Do it, Jellal!" Kagura shouted.

Jellal refocused his attention and completed his spell. "Grand Chariot!"

As the sky descended on one hapless individual, my awareness faded and left me blinking at the scene around me. Lyon was attempting to wake Gray up, and the fake Ur was nowhere to be seen.

Gray finally opened his eyes, sat up, and looked around. "So you beat her?"

Lyon nodded.

"Without my help." Gray grinned at him. "I guess you finally surpassed Ur."

Lyon glanced over at me. "Well... I had a little help."

I held my hands up and shook my head. "I did nothing. I can't even control what power someone receives."

"Who are you, anyway?"

"You can call me RR."

Gray gave me a questioning look, and I knew I wouldn't be able to leave without explaining things to not only Lyon, but also a good number of Fairy Tail members. Just as well that I intended to stick around for a while.

For now though, I convinced Lyon to make an ice horse for me, claiming that resurrecting and forming contracts wore me out completely. Which wasn't a total lie... I may be in better shape than when I was a student, but I'm still woefully unathletic.

Using Gray's and Lyon's discarded coats as insulation against the chill, I sprawled flat on the ice horse's back and just let it follow the boys wherever they were going. My mind wandered, and soon I dozed off into a dream of my past...

* * *

I opened my eyes to C's world, and blinked in confusion. "What... am I doing here?"

I should be dead. I should be absorbed into the collective consciousness, not standing here separate from it.

"You have unfinished business," said a female voice.

I turned my head to see that I was not alone. The speaker wore dark clothes adorned with the symbol of geass all over. It was in the shape of her neckline, around her wrists, even her choker formed the symbol. Her black hair was cut short around her face, except for two strands at the front, so long that the tips crossed each other. The ends of her hair were pink as if dipped in dye, and her eyes were a darker pink.

"Who are you?"

"You know who I am."

With a glance at the familiar surroundings, I hazarded a guess. "Since this is C's world... Then perhaps you are C? That is, the embodiment of the collective consciousness."

"Yes. You might also call me the Caretaker of Spacetime."

I smirked. "That's a bit of a mouthful. If you don't mind me being so familiar, I think I'll just stick with 'C'."

"I care not how you address me," she replied calmly. "If you even find it necessary."

"Well then, you said I had unfinished business... What would that be?" I asked.

"When you were here before, you left something behind... A code of immortality."

For a moment I was speechless, remembering the last time I saw my father.

"The emperor's code..."

Her expression void of emotion, she nodded at me. "You may not have taken it from him, but you were responsible for his loss of it. Therefore, you shall receive it now."

"Wait, right now?" If I sounded a bit panicked, I had good reason. This was so sudden, so unexpected, and I didn't understand what was going on.

"I call all times now," she said. "If you wish, I will explain further before you receive the code."

"I would appreciate that."

"Then what do you wish to know?"

I thought for a moment. "Why must the code pass to me? If it's here in the collective consciousness, why shouldn't it stay here?"

"This is not where it belongs. From the beginning, there have always been two codes of immortality in this world. They were gifted to the first man and the first woman by the creator. But those two disobeyed the single prohibition laid upon them, and so the creator declared that their children would not be given the same gift."

I waited patiently through her narrative, which was similar to tales I had heard before.

"In time, immortality became a burden to them, and they wished to be free of it. Their descendants, not knowing its flaws, desired it, and so entered into a contract to transfer the code. How the power of geass came to be involved is another story, one which does not concern you presently."

I wasn't sure how this was supposed to answer my question. "So then... The code. Why must I take it?"

"The collective consciousness has no need of it."

I sighed. It seemed I wouldn't be getting a straight answer out of her, so I moved on. "Is there anything I should know about the code before I receive it?"

"An intelligent question," she observed before replying. "Though you already know much. Since you did not take the code directly from your father, but are receiving it after your own death, there will be a consequence. The code will not function properly until a year passes from the date of your resurrection. Should you die before that time has passed, you will briefly return here instead of reviving immediately."

"And then what happens?"

"For each death, a year will be added to the time your code cannot function properly. Avoiding death would therefore be to your benefit."

That seemed like an obvious goal, but I decided not to make any smart comments. "I'll do my best to stay alive then."

"You have only your original lifespan to complete the time, including penalties. Following that, the code will be inherited by the person responsible for your first death after becoming immortal. They will not inherit your accumulated penalty time though."

"And so the cycle starts again," I muttered dryly. "If they were the same age as me, or older, wouldn't it be difficult for them to complete the time?"

She shook her head. "It is not so difficult to avoid death, if one is not reckless." She paused and gave me a knowing look. "You are not one to let a second chance go to waste, but you are also clever enough to be patient."

I nodded. If I were alive again, I could do so many things... including fulfill my contract by granting CC's wish. I was too ambitious to do nothing, but I could wait. What was a year to me, when after that year I would gain an immeasurable number more?

"I understand. I have no further questions."

"Then are you ready to receive the code now, Lelouch vi Britannia?"

I raised my chin and looked her in the eye. "I am ready."


End file.
